Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Revealed

bowl of popeyes red beans and rice with large pot of rice

5 from 5 votes

Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Revealed

Thick, Creamy, Smoky and Spicy! This Red Beans and Rice Recipe is the perfect recipe for hot Louisiana Style Cajun beans and fluffy white rice just the way that my favorite restaurant does it: Popeyes Red Beans and Rice Revealed!

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: popeyes red beans and rice, red beans and rice

Servings: servings

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

Cost: $8

Equipment

large stock pot
measuring cups and spoons
stove top
Large Wooden Spoons
Sauce pan (rice)

Ingredients

For the Beans

16 oz Dried Red Beans
4 Bacon slices cut into 1” pieces
1 Heaping Tablespoon of Chicken Stock Concentrate.
4 Tbs Bacon Fat see notes
1 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbs Hot Sauce a Good quality one like Tolulas or a Sriracha sauce
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbs Liquid Smoke
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Rice

2 Cups of Long Grain White Rice
4 Cups Chicken Broth
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 Tbs butter

Instructions

For the Beans
Pour the red beans into a large stock pot and cover with cool water, slosh around to wash. Remove any bad beans you find. Do this several times until the beans are free of any dirt, bad beans, half beans, etc.
Put the beans back into the stockpot and cover with 2 inches of cool water. Place on the stove and heat over high heat until boiling, then reduce heat to medium for a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to precook.
After precook, pour the beans into a colander and rinse with cool water. Rinse the stockpot as well.
In the stockpot you just used for the beans, cook 4 slices of bacon cut into 1” pieces until crispy. Then, leaving the bacon in place, replace the washed beans into the stockpot and cover with enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Set on the stove over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to keep the liquid at this low simmer. Do Not allow it to come to a full rolling boil.
Add the other ingredients EXCEPT the liquid smoke. Simmer until the beans are soft and like you like them. Once they are like you like them, cut the heat to low, remove about ⅓ of the beans and lightly smash with a potato masher and then replace it into the saucepan.
Add the liquid smoke and stir well after each tbs added. Allow to heat for 5 minutes to give time for the liquid smoke to absorb into the beans. Taste to see if you need to add salt or pepper. Serve hot over a bed of rice.
For the Rice
Rinse the rice well in cool water and repeat this 2-3 times.
Place the washed rice into a sauce pan, cover with chicken stock by 1 inch.
Add the salt, pepper, and butter and give it a good stir.
Bring the sauce pan up to a simmer over medium heat, reduce to a simmer, place the lid on the pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and use as a bed for the red beans.

Video

Notes

If you do not have and can not get the chicken stock concentrate, use bouillon cubes instead and do not add salt until after you have finished cooking the beans.
OK to substitute vegetable oil for the bacon fat if you don’t have it or want to keep this recipe vegan, also use vegetable stock instead of other stock. Use liquid smoke only, no bacon.
Use the dried beans if you are able, it makes a big difference in the final flavor, in my opinion.
Using dried beans will cost less.
The directions indicate that you should mash some of the beans and return them to the pot. If you are the type of person who enjoys the entire pot of beans being softer, then there is no need to do this, just keep cooking them and they will eventually all be soft and mushy. That is completely personal preference.
If you prefer a different kind of rice, then use that and follow the package instructions for making it. White rice really does taste best with this dish.

PRO TIP: You may be wondering why this recipe doesn’t call for any fresh garlic or onions. I’ve experimented long and hard with using fresh onion and garlic in bean recipes and find that the flavors aren’t reliable after simmering for a long time like this while the powdered/dried varieties do better. Feel free to add fresh onion and garlic, but I would still add the powdered and then use the fresh for garnish perhaps.

Nutrition